The Diabetes Center

Introduction to Diabetes

Diabetes is a very big topic! To make the diagnosis, complications and treatment of diabetes more understandable, we have broken "diabetes" into several dozen diabetes topic pages which go into more and more detail. Our search engine will help you find specific diabetes information, or you can come back to this introduction page to see each of the diabetes topic pages listed.

Diabetes is a disorder characterized by hyperglycemia or elevated blood glucose (blood sugar). Our bodies function best at a certain level of sugar in the bloodstream. If the amount of sugar in our blood runs too high or too low, then we typically feel bad. Diabetes is the name of the condition where the blood sugar level consistently runs too high. Diabetes is the most common endocrine disorder. Sixteen million Americans have diabetes, yet many are not aware of it. African-Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans have a higher rate of developing diabetes during their lifetime. Diabetes has potential long term complications that can affect the kidneys, eyes, heart, blood vessels, and nerves. A number of pages on this website are devoted to the prevention and treatment of the complications of diabetes.

Types of Diabetes

Although doctors and patients alike tend to group all patients with diabetes together, the truth is that there are two different types of diabetes which are similar in their elevated blood sugar, but different in many other ways. Throughout the remainder of these web pages we will be referring to the different types of diabetes when appropriate, but when the topic pertains to both types of diabetes we will use the general term "diabetes".

Diabetes is correctly divided into two major subgroups: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. This division is based upon whether the blood sugar problem is caused by insulin deficiency (type 1) or insulin resistance (type 2). Insulin deficiency means there is not enough insulin being made by the pancreas due to a malfunction of their insulin producing cells. Insulin resistance occurs when there is plenty of insulin made by the pancreas (it is functioning normally and making plenty of insulin), but the cells of the body are resistant to its action which results in the blood sugar being too high.

This is a listing of our "topic" diabetes pages...they will lead you to more in-depth diabetes pages.

Several types of neuropathy (nerve damage) are caused by diabetes. Learn about these diabetic neuropathies: peripheral, autonomic, proximal, and focal neuropathies. Explains what nerves are affected in each type of diabetic neuropathy.

Diabetic hyperlipidemia sounds a bit intimidating, doesn’t it? As we always do here on EndocrineWeb, we’re going to break down that concept for you, and that’s why we’ve put together this Patient Guide to Treating High Cholesterol and Diabetes.

The purpose of the Patient Guide to Insulin is to educate patients, parents, and caregivers about insulin treatment of diabetes. By reviewing this information, you’re taking an important step to learn about diabetes and how insulin controls the disease to help you live a healthier life.

If you are like many people, you may think that osteoporosis—a condition marked by low bone mineral density, which leads to lowered bone strength and a heightened risk of fractures—is something you will not have to worry about until later in life.

Need some new ideas for what to eat? We've put together 5 delicious—and diabetes-friendly—recipes. Breakfast, lunch, dinner—even an afternoon snack and a yummy dessert. This Patients' Guide will help you eat well all day long with our easy diabetic recipes.

A neck lump or nodule is the most common symptom of thyroid cancer. You may feel a lump, notice one side of your neck appears to be different, or your doctor may find it during a routine examination. If the tumor is large, it may cause neck or facial pain, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, cough unrelated to a cold, hoarseness or voice change.

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